Robert Hayden: Baha'i and first black Poet Laureate

Robert Hayden surmounted an impoverished childhood to become the first African-American to be appointed Poet Laureate.

Robert Hayden Born Asa Bundy Sheffey in 1913 in the ironically named Paradise Valley neighborhood of Detroit, Mr. Hayden was extremely near-sighted, which kept him from participating in sports. Thus he spent much of his time reading and writing. His efforts paid off: He attended Detroit City College (now Wayne State University) on a scholarship and earned a master’s degree at the University of Michigan, where he was mentored by celebrated poet W.H. Auden.

While in graduate school, Mr. Hayden became acquainted with the Baha'i Faith and was drawn to its focus on racial harmony. He joined the Faith in 1943 and said: “I believe in the essential oneness of all people and I believe in the basic unity of all religions. I don’t believe races are important; I think that people are important.”

Mr. Hayden incorporated those beliefs into his poems and thought of himself as an American poet, rather than a black poet, for which some blacks chastised him. Their view of Mr. Hayden didn’t affect judges at the First World Festival of Negro Arts held in 1966 in Senegal, where he was awarded the grand prize for poetry for his collection Ballad of Remembrance. The award earned him long-awaited worldwide recognition.

In 1976, Mr. Hayden was named Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, which later became the esteemed title Poet Laureate of the United States. His poetry is wide-ranging and includes tributes to black leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, folklore, politics, life in the slums and the Viet Nam War. One of his most-well-known poems is “Those Winter Sundays,” in which a son reminisces about his father.

Robert Hayden taught at Fisk University in Nashville for 23 years and then at the University of Michigan from 1969 until his death in 1980 at age 66.

Related Item: